RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — After facing a long list of reported car break-ins over the weekend, the Raleigh Police Department is narrowing down its search for suspects and encouraging the public to do their part in staying safe.
According to an official from Raleigh police in a press conference Thursday, 25 cars were broken into across five targeted church parking lots in west Raleigh — Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Highland United Methodist Church, Providence Church, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral and Summit Church.
“If anybody did not report their vehicle being broken into, they can feel free to call 911 and we can add them to the list of incident reports,” the official said.
According to the spokesperson, officers are looking for a black Infinity sedan. Officers said they believed the car was occupied by one person, but officers believed another person could have been involved.
The Raleigh Police Department also announced at the press conference that their new auto theft task force is now a permanent fixture in the department.
“It’s something that Chief (Rico) Boyce had made a permanent squad from this past spring,” the official said. “They’ve done an incredible job at limiting motor vehicle thefts in Raleigh.”
The official said auto-related thefts have been trending down since the inception of the auto task force. Raleigh police reported less than 10 days ago that motor vehicle thefts had tapered down by over 100 reports in a one-year span.
The Raleigh Police Department offered tips to the public at the press conference to help keep the number of car break-ins down and prevent property or car theft. The official provided more information on what’s known as the “9 p.m. Routine,” a daily check to make sure car doors are locked and items are not left in plain sight.
“We completely understand that mistakes can happen, right?” said the official. “But we just don’t want people to have that common occurrence that they keep leaving their vehicles unlocked or their property out in the open.”
Officers ask that anyone with information on this string of car break-ins call Raleigh CrimeStoppers at 919-834-4357 or submit a tip online at https://raleighcrimestoppers.org/report-a-tip/.
